Supplement to the 1870 US Federal Census

These omissions were found when Arlene Brachman was looking to learn where Henry Mahler said he was born on the 1870 Milwaukee census. He said he was from France in 1860 and Germany in 1880. When he couldn't be located on the 1870 Wisconsin state copy of the 1870 US Federal Census index, she decided his name must have been misspelled. So, since the ancestor was a butcher on Market Street the researcher looked for another person living on the same block on Market Street. That person also wasn't listed. She tried again and again and found people who lived in the business district above or behind their businesses weren't listed at all. This all lead to checking all of the businesses listed in the 1870 Milwaukee City Directory and it was learned that business owners were only listed on the census if they lived separately from their place of business.

What is compiled here is a list of names of business owners who weren't included on the 1870 US Federal Census. If they lived above of behind their business, THEY WEREN'T EVER COUNTED ON THE 1870 CENSUS. Unfortunately only the name of the business owner is available. We don't know the names of other family members, their ages, place of origin or net worth. But we now at least have over 1000 names of Milwaukee residents who were missed in 1870. If you have been looking for one of these people, it is a great find.

Milwaukee County Genealogical Society thanks Arlene Brachman for this important research, Loralee Brown for typing the research findings, and Lynn Tess for final editing of the document.